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14 Tips for Styling Curly Hair

Hello ladies! I am super duper excited about this post today. I’ve spent some time researching and trying new techniques. I wanted to create a resource for all you curly-cues out there! Your hair is beautiful! People pay to have hair like yours. If you’re discouraged and don’t really agree, you must read on. It’s all in the hair care!

Styling Curly Hair

If you’re wondering what gives me the authority to speak on styling curly hair, I get it! I thought of that too as I was creating this post. My hair is kind of in between and I didn’t want the truly curly-haired women to laugh at me in my attempt to help. So let me share a picture that I feel may help me make my case.

Yep. That’s my baby. He has really curly hair and I just can’t bring myself to cut it. I feel like it matches his personality. He’s a little crazy and silly if you were wondering… And although he is not a little girl, it still needs to be managed!

So between having mixed babies and semi curly hair myself, I had a starting point. The rest, to be honest, is research and trying new products & ideas. I hope you enjoy & that it is indeed helpful! Don’t have curly hair? Feel free to share with your curly-haired friends!

1.) Embrace the curl!

You know, the grass is always greener on the other side, right? NO! Your grass is really, really green, you just need to know how to take care of it! Embrace your curls, love them and rock them with confidence. They truly are beautiful — people pay to have hair like you! If you have a hard time knowing how to tame them, then read on. I’ve got some tips & resources for you!

2.) Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!

Curly hair is naturally dry to begin with and is prone to frizz, as you probably know all too well! The key is to stay away from products with alcohol and sulfate in them as they will strip oils from your hair. It’s also a good idea to wash your hair less and take advantage of your natural oils. I’d say that’s a pretty big benefit, if you ask me!

3.) Shampoo right

Like #2, you don’t want to dry out your hair, and often shampoo can do that. I mean, it is cleansing your hair, stripping it of its natural oils. Try washing it less and use a product such as a moisturizing shampoo like Ouidad’s Curl Co-wash. It’s a shampoo but you lather it throughout your hair, leave it on while you shower (a couple minutes), then rinse & condition. So it is washing while conditioning and then you also add conditioner after that. I have used it and LOVE it!

4.) Condition & then condition some more

After your moisturizing shampoo you should regularly use a heavy conditioner. Ouidad has this product called Whipped Curls. It’s fabulous. It’s a conditioner that you can either leave in, for you really curly girls, or rinse out, for girls with hair like mine – kinda a tweener. Then invest in a good deep conditioner to use once a week or week and a half. Remember, you really shouldn’t be washing your hair more than a couple times a week.

5.) Fight the Frizz

To truly style hair and achieve the look you’re going for, straight or curly, you need product. You don’t have to go all out and spend 100’s of dollars, but you need some good basic products to have on hand. I’ve used John Frieda’s Anti-Frizz Serum and have been happy with it. Ouidad, which is made for curly hair, has a shine glaze serum. I haven’t tried this particular product, but I know curly hair women who swear by Ouidad!

6.) Less Fuss

Overall, the more you fuss with your hair, the more frizzy and messy it will be. So fix it, then leave it. Here’s a few other things you should be using less of:

Less heat

In the shower, try to use cool water on your hair. The hotter the water, the more frizz. Once you’re out of the shower, you should apply the product needed to wet hair so it can absorb it all. Then let it air dry as long as you can. Maybe do your makeup, drink your coffee, get dressed. Then when it’s dried, flip your head upside down & use a diffuser (something similar to this one). You want to lightly scrunch your curls and lift them while drying. I have a curly-haired friend who uses chopsticks to lift her curls while drying!

Less brushing

Some people say don’t brush at all, but I say you don’t have to entirely lose the brush. I would suggest brushing while you’re in the shower with a wide-toothed comb (like this one) while the conditioner is still in your hair. Because brushing can break & ruin your hair, this way will protect it!

Less mess

Like I mentioned above, once you’re done, just leave it alone. And honestly, this should be a blessing! You don’t have to fuss with your hair after you’re done in the morning. You’re welcome 🙂 Oh, and to freshen up at night, just put a little water on your hands and scrunch your hair up. Done!

Less wash

Another blessing in disguise (or not really disguised) you don’t have to wash your hair as much! In fact, you shouldn’t wash it as much. Because curly hair is naturally dry anyway, the oils from every day & even sweat from working out can be helpful. You can always use a little dry shampoo or baby powder in between washes.

Now, I just want to clarify, this is not an excuse to not shower. You can still shower, just don’t wash your hair as much when you do! 🙂

7.) Product application

Applying product to curly hair is mostly a necessity. In fact, I think product can and is helpful for all hair types. However, when you’re dealing with styling curly hair you want to be careful with how you apply it. Start at the ends or at least half way down and work to the ends. You want to avoid applying too much product to the top because it can weigh your hair down.

8.) Lose the towels

Well, the towel might not be the problem, but the way you use it. When you’re drying your hair from just out of the shower don’t rub your hair as it will rough up the cuticles creating more frizz to deal with. Instead squeeze hair dry. You might even want to dry using an old t-shirt to absorb the water, or even some super absorbent paper towels. The bottom line here is not to rub your hair dry. Just try to soak up all the extra water you can.

9.) Get the right cut

So much of styling your hair has to do with getting the right cut. You can also try finding a stylist that is either certified or has curly hair themselves so they understand what you need. With the right cut & right products, you’ll be unstoppable!

10.) Give it time

Just so you know, you can’t try one or all of these things one time and expect the frizz to be gone and your hair to be totally fantastic. Develop a routine that works for you. Find the products that work best with your type of hair. Then do it consistently. Any beauty regime takes time to work; just stick with it and you will see results!

There you have it! Bottom line, ladies, like I say in nearly every beauty post I write, embrace YOUR beautiful! Learn to love the things God gave you and embrace the beauty you have inside and outside. So even if my hair isn’t super curly, I want to encourage women to see the beauty in themselves. And if this post helps a few curly-haired women see that beauty, that makes me happy!

84 Responses to 14 Tips for Styling Curly Hair

Thanks for this post, really. For very long wished I had straight hair, tried everything…but few years ago moved to Ireland and I had to quit using the iron, with this damp weather was useless and then decided to embrace my waves, my surprise came when I left it long and had the right cut it became beautifully curly, strong and shiny, everybody seems to love it…me included!!

Oh I love hearing stories like this! I think things are so much better when we embrace what we have instead of fighting it all the time. Of course it’s fun to mix things up sometimes but in general work what we’ve got! Thanks for sharing!

Oh, well, Still have those “frizzy” days sometimes but in general I’m happy with my curls and love the fact that takes me no time to get ready in the mornings. My trick: to refresh the curls spray leave-in conditioner, just a bit, keeps the hair moisturised, the frizz under control and the curl in good shape. Works for me!

You are right on the money. My hair started curling at puberty and my mom, having straight hair, convinced me to cut it off into an awful grandma do. Now in my 30’s I have grown out my hair, found a routine that works for me, and have come to love my curls! I have great results with the WEN line. I wash/condition 3 times a week (between conditioning and post workouts, I just rinse with water) and also use the product as a leave in conditioner. I don’t need any other product unless I’m rocking an updo, then it’s just light hairspray. In case WEN is a bit on the pricey side, I found similar results with “Hair One” sold at Sally’s Beauty Supply here in the States. I “finger comb” in the shower only and don’t touch it when it’s dry. I also wanted to say thanks. I found your blog through a pinterest post on a hair tutorial. I work in a gym and live in yoga pants and sweatshirts – I stopped getting “dressed” even on date night. Your blog has inspired me to get back to putting my make up on, painting my nails and getting dressed in “real” girlie clothes on the weekends. It’s done wonders for my attitude and I feel pretty again. (My boyfriend is thankful as well.) So keep up the good work! 🙂

Oh I appreciate your comment so much, thank you! For the compliments and for the curly hair tips! I am so glad you’ve found inspiration, I think we’ve all been there and that’s mainly why I write! I’ll have to check out WEN products!

I totally feel the same way, Dovalyn! Natatalia is a great style/hair/makeup inspiration to me too! I love all the hair tutorials, they have helped me try so many new cute braided styles (and I always get compliments!) Also, love the frugal fashion ideas, wish I didn’t have to work on a budget, but glad I have tips from other stylish mamas to help me look cute!

My hair is a little bit crazy. I have some strands that are wavy and others that are corkscrew curls, tight ones. It’s a bit difficult to manage.

You’re right on the towel, and I would even say, lose the towel completely. I wrap my head in an old t-shirt and it cuts WAY down on the frizz.

I’ve always wanted to use the Quidad products, but they are out of my budget. My sister in-law got her hair cut in a Quidad salon in NYC. It was wonderful.

Anyhow, fabulous post and lots of good tips for me. I already pinned it for future reference, so thank you! And, your little man’s hair is adorable. I wouldn’t want to cut it either. Every single day my daughter plays with her very straight hair and wishes it were curly. For her sake, I hope it starts curling when the hormones kick in.
~FringeGirl

Thanks for your good research here, Natalia! You nailed it when it comes to curly hair! For years I fought my curl and used staightners, over shampooed, over cut my hair until it started to break off my head! I met a curl specialist at Quidad, she was the first person to ever tell me to embrace the curl and taught me how to handle it. It truly set me and my curls FREE! Love my curls and love you. xo

Just wanted to say how happy i am to have come across a site that truly gets the frustration with curly hair, everyone compliments my natural curls, but I fought so hard to have straight hair most of my life, I’ve just learned it has a lot to do with the length you leave them and to be very careful who styles or cuts it..Horror story when you get a stylist who just doesn’t get it …, but again, so glad I found this most helpful site :0)

Yes, stylists and cuts are super important! Glad you liked the tips. I think most people want what they don’t have because I think the curls are absolutely gorgeous and mine have never been super fun and bouncy and pretty like that. Instead I have frizzy hair. Boo!

Love this post, thanks so much for sharing it because I’d been trying to find good products for styling curly hair (I like to just put something in and let it dry naturally.) I’ve used the Jon Frieda one and like it well enough but I was hoping for something a little more… I recently tried MIss Jessie’s Pillow Soft Curls and it’s rough to use… the smell is strong and if you put too much in it just looks greasy. I unfortunately have fine hair.

I love the Deva curly hair care line of products (sold at salons & Ulta). Always coming back to it. Also check out their tutorials online. Devoness is another great line with curly hair products. As you said, never use anything with alcohol (meaning no hairspray) or sulfates (in most shampoos). I have fine hair & it helps when I put a few clips perpendicular to & touching the roots where I want a little more height(again, Deva sells clips just for doing this).

Love this post! I am a ‘tweener’ too. Super wavy, almost all over except in the front, dry, and frizzy! I have recently started going with the flow instead of fighting to have straight, smooth hair all the time. I am so much happier and it takes way less time to get ready! I wash, then put in CHI serum, and a loreal beachy waves oil spray and let it dry as much as I can, then blow the rest dry, then use a curling iron or flat iron and touch up the waves and it lasts me for at least 3 days! Takes me about 30 min to style where as blow drying straight would take me over and hour and most of the time I hated how it looked when I was finished and I would have a sore arm from the round brush/hairdryer routine 😉 I have also heard using coconut oil on your ends before conditioning is a great moisturizer. I am trying that next time, and maybe some Ouidad stuff 🙂

These are great tips, I’ll have to look into that CHI serum, sounds great! And I think hair in general is so much easier if we stop fighting it & then we end up loving it more! Thanks for your comments!

This was really great. I have semi straight hair but then my daughter was born with curly hair and I was so lost! It was just a big frizzy mess. I kinda have it under control but there are some good tips in here, like brushing her hair with the conditioner and just letting it air dry. Thanks.

So glad they were helpful! I have semi-curly hair but my sons, as you can see, are a lot more curly!! I am having to learn some new things as well. And it’s a balance because my husband is black but our kids hair isn’t really black, so neither of us know exactly what to do! It’s a learning process!

Thank You ! My hair was board straight until I turned 40 and ,weirdly, it started to get curlier and wavier every year since. It has driven me crazy. I have had one disastrous haircut after another and finally just decided to let it grow out. The longer it gets…just shoulder length now…the better it looks. But because of my age every stylist I find insists I need to cut it short. I will try your tips here and keep looking for an older, curlier haired stylist.

Yes! Shame on those stylists! Embrace your beautiful curls! Try some of these tips at home for a while before heading to your stylist, maybe they’ll help. Also Ouidad has stylists that specialize in curly hair. I promise I’m not working for them, haha, I had a friend tell me that’s what changed her mind about her curls, the Ouidad stylist! Not sure if you could find one, but in any case, find a stylist that supports what you want!

Make sure whoever cuts your hair cuts it dry. If it’s wet they won’t understand how your curls lie on your head & they can really butcher it! I’m 59 & have worn my hair short & curly for the last 10 years but have been growing it out for the past 6 months & it’s finally getting there& really pretty (most of the time). Finding a stylist who really understands curly hair is the key (& using the right products!). Good Luck!

Yay, this is the post I have been waiting for quite a long time! I love your first tip the most. I will admit I had a hard time learning to live with my VERY curly hair (I have exactly the same curls as your little boy does). I had no idea how to stile it and I hated it. Sadly my hair hated me too as it never seamed to look ok. Now I know that my curls make me myself and I kind of like it with more or less success. The problem is that in Ukraine (well in my tiny little town) you can’t find products specifically for curly hair. Anyways, thanks a lot for this post!

I am so glad you liked it, thank you! Can you order products online? I understand about not being able to get what you want. I’m in France right now and sometimes they don’t have what I need. I am so glad to hear you’re learning to embrace your curls! That’s where it starts! I hope to have some curly hairstyles up soon as well!

Great tutorial. I have that frustrating fine, not straight, not really curly hair; but one of my oldest friends has super-curly (think Annie) style hair…and I was always jealous of it. When she had it straightened it was the most gorgeous hair I’ve ever seen.

As a natural curly girl, I was SUPER skeptical to see this post. Hair that is styled to be curly is just SO different from naturally curly hair – but girl, you are SPOT ON. Using a t-shirt instead of a towel is a SUPER easy way to reduce frizz, it’s amazing how much that helps me. And I only comb my hair about once a week. I run my fingers through it when it’s conditioned + wet to get tangles out, but I rarely actually use a comb. And NEVER use a brush. My favorite curly hair products are made by Diva Curl – they’re super expensive, but incredibly nourishing to dry hair. Oh – and I often skip shampooing all together. If I get super sweaty or dirty, of course I shampoo. But if I stayed pretty clean, I just skip to conditioning.

Thank you!! That means a lot coming from a curly haired girl with fabulous hair like yourself! I was going to mention not shampooing, but ended up leaving it out, thanks for mentioning it here! And thanks for the products tips!!

Such great ideas.. i am so guilty of rubbing with the towel and it truly makes a difference if you don’t! I too have one of those crazy heads…some parts corkscrew, some parts just lumpy, and a few straight.. LOL just like the little girl in Brave — my daughter, 18, said “Hey Mom, her hair looks just like yours when its long!” By age 40 (now mid50’s) I gave up having a ‘style’ like others and let it do it’s thing. Its soooo hard to find someone who can cut it decently tho!! Just wanted to add my 2cents in about products, I’ve recently started using the “Hair One” for curly hair from Sally’s and LOVE it. What a difference!! And no combs or brushes as a rule, it just makes the super curly parts go “poof”. Mornings I just dampen with a spray bottle and fluff with a pick. I rarely use product as most will just make my hair look greasy by the next day–and I can’t wash it everyday as we all know! Best to all you Curlies and In-betweeners!

Thanks for sharing! It’s always great to hear from girls with truly curly hair! Mine is in between so I know I don’t truly understand, but I wanted to have a resources out there for all the curly haired women! But I think curly hair is beautiful and kinda wish mine was!

I used Wen but so very expensive. I do have to say I loved it, but be careful they will ask if you want to do 3 months with it and forget to tell you the first one is $29.95 and the rest run almost $100. Now their product is great, I do have to say. I have tired everything and learned different things from having curly hair.

1. Is you you don’t have to use expensive hair products, there is Palmers and it has Oilive Oil and Kertin in it. Love it and way less expensive. My hair feels the best it ever has. 2. There are products for ebony women that work good on really curly hair to calm it down tha twork too. 3. You can use a towel just don’t rub pat dry. 4. How you wash you hair don’t scrub, do like you see on Wen commecials pulli t through your hair. I use to scrub with my nails and probably took all the natural oil out. 5. Then when you are drying it you can use an infuser blow dryer, but then I take anything that isn’t curly and you do a shake with it. Meaning you take the end of it and pull it out and back and forth this creates more curl.
I never had a hard time curling my hair as that seemed to calm stuff down. Now I wear it straight most days and my only problem is right in the front I have these little hairs that stick straight up, I try to iron them down, products and that one I haven’t figured out yet.

Hi Diaen, if you liked the WEN you may want to try the “Hair One” from Sally’s, its their version of WEN I was told. I can’t say its every bit as good as WEN since I’ve never tried it myself — it was just way too rich for my blood ha ha… but I do love the Hair One and its affordable. Here in Canada it was $16.59 for a 355ml/12 fl oz bottle. There’s a larger bottle thats a better deal i’m sure, can’t remember how big it was but it was like $38 or $39.

Moisturizing is so important for curly hair. Dried out hair is the enemy here. I use either coconut oil or almond oil to keep my hair nice and moisturized. Some products especially ones with sulfates can over dry the hair causing more damage than good to your hair. Like you said in the article not messing with you hair is also very important for its health. Too much handling can cause breakage.

Hello-
I also have in between hair. I just decided to embrace the curls this week so i am trying to figure out how to style them. I want my curls to look just like yours! You mentioned some of the products that you use but what product do you use for step #7?
Thanks!!

Hi! It’s taken me so long to respond, because I don’t exactly know all the right products. I would try a lightweight mousse because it hopefully won’t make your hair stiff. Like Biolage whipped Volume bodifying mousse. I like the way that one feels. Also a root pump would be good, I use Big Sexy Hair root pump. I don’t know how helpful this is, but definitely start there! Sorry for the delay!

Hi, Thanks a lot for the time you took to publish such a useful tips. I am agreed with all the steps you have mentioned. Specially the Conditioner one. During the summer my hair gets more frizzy and i really suffer from horrible hair locks so i found deep conditioning is the best way out for me.

Just like you, I have long curly hair that tends to dry-out and frizz. I used the Shielo Restoration OIl (applied to wet hair) helps retain the natural curl while adding deep shine and hydration. I have used Shielo’s Oil daily for 6 weeks…and my hair looks so healthy!

Yes! Yes! Yes! I feel vindicated! I am 42 and I have always had curly hair, in one form or another. I live in SoCal and the dryness has been a challenge. My hair is long, going down my back. My husband loves it long and I battle the frizz all the time! I use THREE products to keep my mane under control. I found Smooth ‘N Shine Instant Repair Polisher is a terrific inexpensive anti-frizz serum. I use that right after I shower. Then I use Herbal Essence’s curling gel and I finish it off with Garnier Fructis Style Curl Shaping Spray Gel. This routine works great for the first 24-36 hours, but I still battle the frizz. I’ve never tried drying my hair with a tshirt – totally going to try this. I have found that the best conditioner to be Herbal Essences Long Hair Conditioner (red bottle). I’ve tried expensive and cheap and this conditioner has been priceless in keeping my hair under control. I have also found that dry scalp shampoo to be very moisturizing, too. You name it, I have tried it. And when I use 1/3 cup of conditioner each time I wash, I have to keep my hair products economical! But, that’s not going to keep me from trying all of these suggestions. Always room to improve the curl and reduce the frizz!

Terrific tips! I have crazy curly hair and these tips are dead on. The thing that has helped me the most with controlling my frizz is to put product on when my hair is still extremely wet. I read somewhere that frizz comes from your hair trying to suck in moisture from the environment, but that putting product on it when it is wet will keep some of that moisture in the shaft so the hair isn’t so thirsty. I have no idea if that is true, but it definitely seems to work for me.

I just found your blog(well, about 2 hours ago and I haven’t left yet!) through another-theHillJean. Thanks so much for the curly-gal tips and your relatable fashion advice. I love my curly hair-get compliments all the time-but it has not always been a smooth relationship. As a child, I was blessed with model-worthy body and bounce, but,alas, all good things must come to an end. Puberty struck and my hair became super curly/frizzy and I had no clue how to tame it. Mom helpfully suggested I get it cut short and I discovered just how scary things could get with no weight to counter the strength of the curl(think Bozo and not near so funny). After years of trial and error, I’ve made peace with my do and incorporated many of the tips you suggest in your article. I’ve found that if I shampoo normallyand deep condition once a week and either shampoo only my scalp or skip shampoo altogether(wash product out with water only) and condition(of course) 1-2 times through the week, my hair stays most manageable. I keep my hair wrapped up turban-style while I do my make-up/beauty routine to give it extra time to soak up the little bit of conditioner I leave in. I’ve tried many products over the years, some work better than others, but I’ve settled on two that I really love. Surprisingly, neither are all that expensive! I like Aussie’s Sprunch or Beach Wave Mousse during the week when I go light on shampoo because it is not heavy but it controls the frizz and gives definition to my curls(costs less than $5 too!) Then, after regular shampooing washes all the product out-or if I’m having an extra frizzy day-I use CurlySexyHair frizz serum from my local salon. At $17 a bottle, its still a steal. I don’t like the “crunchy” feel most curl-controlling products have, these two products define my curls while still being soft and touchable( :)my guy can still run his fingers through).
Fantastic job on your advice for us frizz-prone girls and I wish you luck in general on your fashion blog. You and your family are gorgeous! (I’d love to see more of your beautiful babes!)

Thank you for sharing your experience! I am so glad that you commented here too, because I’m sure it’d be helpful for others as well. I am sure your hair is gorgeous, I love curly hair!! Thanks for taking the time to comment! 🙂

I have way curly hair and I started using Renewing Argan Oil of Morocco shampoo and conditioner along with Renewing Argan Oil of Morocco deep penetrating oil for dry or coarse hair. and it has worked wonders on my hair. I have only been using it for a few weeks but it has made such a difference in the few weeks I’ve used it. I love it so much. I was actually told to use it by a friend of mine who is a certified cosmotologist and also has mixed kids and one has super curly hair also and I’m so glad that she did tell me about it.

Lovely hair!! I also got curly hair when it’s wet, the curls are beatiful. But when it’s dry, it’s a mess. And I am Chinese, not many Chinese got curly hair. I can’t find any stylist that can tame my hair. I usually brush my hair while drying with blow dryer to make it straight but it doesn’t work.
Maybe I should accept what I got and let my hair curls beatifully. Thanks for sharing!!

Use a good shampoo and conditioner that is meant for curly hair. This will help make your curls bouncy and shiny. try to Comb hair in the shower when your conditioner is still in. I found some other post relates to curly hair, it helps me a lot, please take a look.

I have a quite thin curly hair and I found that using the hair blower and very low temperature of hair straightener should be good. But sometimes, it is not good for loosing too many hair because of heat. Thanks for sharing great tips.

This post is super helpful and i will listen to the stylist thing. Whenever i go to the stylist they always use that cleansing shampoo that leaves my hair super dry and the proceed to dry my hair with a blow dryer and straighten it all while using extreme heat. Sometimes it is fabulous but once that wears off i swear my hair is more damaged then it was before i got my hair cut or trimmed.

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